Opening Plenary
2001 World Conference against A & H Bombs-Nagasaki
August 7, 2001

Fukabori Katsuichi
President
Nagasaki Association of Hibakusha Certificate Holders

I want to express my sincere appreciation to you who have gathered from all over Japan as well as from all over the world to attend this conference.

I’ve heard that, the Chinese had said that atomic weapons must not be dropped on non-combatants. That represented the sentiment of the international community at that time.

But the bomb was dropped on the civilians and we suffered greatly. I hear that the United States still manufactures horrible weapons, which makes me very angry. The U.S. hasn’t compensation for the loss and suffering caused by the bombs, not even a penny. They should compensate for the damage. We are living a hard life. Do they think they have right to do anything they wish to because they consider themselves the police of the world? We are going to go meet the U.S. President in September and October to demand that the U.S. compensate us for the loss and suffering caused by the bombings.

On the 50th Anniversary of the atomic bombing, 1995, 15 people from the National Council of Churches (U.S.) came to see us. They offered their personal apology for the bombings. The U.S. government is irrational, but this has shown that a conscience does exist in the American people. So we are going to appeal to the conscience of American people to get compensation for the Hibakusha. I don’t ask the Japanese government for that. The crime was committed by the United States. That’s why I say we must demand that the U.S. to compensate.

I lost all my family members by the bomb and the sorrow and grief will stay with me forever. But today, I am very happy to see so many people taking part in this conference against atomic and hydrogen bombs.

If we don’t fight, there is no victory. Let us carry on our struggle for victory.